“Back at the Crossroads” Again – Ha Noi 2016

We arrived safely in Hanoi, after a long but smooth journey, with minimal layovers. Asiana treated us well, especially the rib-eye steak between Honolulu and Seoul. We landed in Hanoi just after 10pm, so after clearing immigration and customs, and traveling in a 29 passenger bus with all our luggage, we moved into our housing in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Into bed by 3am and wide awake at 5:30, the city doesn’t stop. Construction and traffic running 24 hours, it is still alive.

Our team of 17 is housed in a villa and a 3BR apartment in the Quang An area of Tay Ho district in northern Ha Noi. We have a 2 minute walk between us and get to meet up every day. This area of the city has a lot more westerners/foreigners than where we have lived previously and much easier access (and greater temptation) to western restaurants.

We celebrated Christmas as a group, sharing a great meal together, turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, potatoes, gravy, vegetables. We had a traditional Danish rice and almond dessert, sang carols around the Christmas tree and shared gifts.

We are becoming reacquainted with Ha Noi, with the motorbikes, the non-existent sidewalks, the street-crossing, the awesome street food, the amazingly welcoming people. We are meeting old friends and making new ones, we walk, we take taxis and UBER rides, we try to speak Viet and we laugh. Opportunities to meet more people and get to know them are occurring daily. Looking forward to seeing all that happens over the next few months.